It appears as though no matter what the Washington Commanders end up doing in the 2026 NFL Draft, their first pick at No. 7 overall is going to be spent on the best defensive player available to give Dan Quinn's unit the shot in the arm it needs. One such standout is Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
It takes quite a lot for a safety to be picked in the Top 10, and Downs appears to be locked into that range. It would not be an indefensible take to say that Downs is the best player in the Draft regardless of position.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic claims that several NFL scouts have told him that Downs is the best safety prospect they have ever evaluated. Downs being a historic outlier might make it very difficult for the Commanders to look at their porous secondary and pass him up.
Potential Commanders draft target Caleb Downs called best safety prospect ever by scouts
Washington need look no further for proof that Downs is worth the selection than right in their own backyard, as the Baltimore Ravens took advantage of Kyle Hamilton falling to the No. 14 overall selection by turning him into perhaps the best player at his position in the league.
It seems like the Commanders may get a chance at Downs if all three of the top pass rushers in Ohio State's Arvell Reese, Miami's Rueben Bain Jr., and Texas Tech's David Bailey are all off the board. If Downs and one of that trio both make it to No. 7 overall, there will be some cause for debate.
There may be some debate as to Downs' exact ceiling, but there appears to be a minuscule chance that he is going to crash out of the NFL if he stays healthy. His speed, tackling, and football IQ are all exemplary, even when compared to other elite safeties of the past.
Washington fans have been burned before by Ohio State star defenders wearing No. 2 who are alleged to have an extremely high floor, but Downs could be a worthwhile selection if he avoids the injury problems that plagued Chase Young throughout his tenure with this franchise.
Downs would be an immediate starter and playmaker who would fix one of their biggest positions of need, and that would be enough for many executives to eschew the concerns about his fit on the depth chart and go full send on making him one of the cornerstones of this franchise going forward.